NAIROBI, - Living in a war-torn city is hard enough for Mogadishu's youngsters, but even those few opportunities for entertainment they used to enjoy have now been banned. Listening to music, watching football or films can earn one up to 30 lashes from the enforcers who patrol neighbourhoods checking for "un-Islamic" behaviour.

"We cannot watch our favourite teams, go to a movie or do anything that young people our age do," said Loyaan Lugacade, 17, who lives in an area controlled by the militant Al-Shabab group.

The Hisbul Islam insurgent group on 3 April issued an edict claiming that playing music was un-Islamic, forcing 14 of the city's 16 broadcasters to replace jingles with recorded gunfire, croaking frogs and crowing cockerels.

Its announcement was nothing new to Lugacade and his friends. "For six months fun was forbidden to us. Now the rest of the city is joining us," he told IRIN.

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Lugacade said the only time they could watch a football match or a film was clandestinely, at friends’ houses in areas not controlled by the insurgents.

"If you are caught you get lashed up to 30 times," he said.

Faradheere A'day, 18, wants to watch his favourite football team, Arsenal, but not in his neighbourhood, which is controlled by insurgents, who consider it un-Islamic.